In a tweet on Saturday, PM Imran said, “In a similar vein to the 'Sicilian mafia', the Pakistani mafia uses tactics of bribe, threat, blackmail and begging to pressurise state institutions and judiciary in order to protect their billions of money laundering stashed abroad.”

In a similar vein to the "Sicilian mafia", the Pakistani mafia uses tactics of bribe, threat, blackmail and begging to pressurise state institutions and judiciary in order to protect their billions of money laundering stashed abroad.https://t.co/DcXWNZntq3

PM Imran's tweet came after the accountability court judge Arshad Malik, who was removed from his post on Friday, claimed that he was offered Rs500 million cash bribe by the son of former premier Nawaz Sharif to resign after announcing the Al-Azizia reference verdict.

The judge, in an affidavit submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) claimed that two persons, including Nasir Janjua and Mahar Jilani, have been meeting him since he was appointed Accountability Court-II Judge Islamabad and demanding him to give the decision in favour of Nawaz Sharif in HME and Flagship.

Reacting to PM Imran’s tweet, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz said that Imran himself was “part of a mafia that targets political opponents”.

In her tweet, Maryam Nawaz said, "You’re a part of the mafia that pressurises judges into targeting and punishing your political opponents. It is you who used the institutions to settle scores with your opponents and defaced and maligned them in the process. Shame on you."

You’re a part of the mafia that pressurises judges into targeting & punishing your political opponents. It is you who used the institutions to settle scores with your opponents & defaced & maligned them in the process. Shame on you. https://t.co/tRgTAdv2DM